Field Hockey

Senior Brittany Paquette (#9) and the 2007 DU field hockey team open the season this Friday night versus Hendrix.

Eighth year head coach P.J. Soteriades enters the 2007 season with 17 returning letterwinners and a veteran laden squad primed to improve upon last season's fourth place North Coast Athletic Conference finish.

Leading the way for Denison are seniors Read Powel, Carter Hartung, Katie Grunst and Brittany Paquette. Powel was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 after playing in all 18 games while scoring one goal and leading the team with six assists. Hartung moves back to her regular position in the defense in 2007 after playing the last 11 matches of 2006 at goalie. Hartung earned honorable mention All-NCAC after posting a .833 save percentage in the cage.

Paquette, a second-team All-NCAC choice last season, finished second on the team in points (11) and goals scored (4). Grunst missed the 2006 season after spending the fall semester studying abroad.She started 33 matches during her first two seasons in 2004 and 2005.

In the back junior Claire Kase returns after an outstanding sophomore campaign which saw her play in all 18 matches, leading the team with five defensive saves. She joined Powel on the NCAC first-team. Sophomores Bethany Keller, Katie Partridge, Kristen Bauman and Emily Marshall will join Kase in the DU backfield. First-year Kim Havens will also see time in the back along with rookie goalkeeper Halle Minshall.

On offense junior Caitlin Gilman is back after scoring four goals in 18 games in 2006.Sophomore Kristen Schneider also returns after leading the Big Red in scoring as a freshman. She posted five goals and three assists while taking 26 shots. Classmate Molly McCue tied Schneider for the team lead in goals scored with five.She also saw time in all 18 matches last year. Also returning from the deep and talented sophomore class will be NCAC honorable mention Molly Nissi, Lauren Keny, Lindsley Burton, Mariah Bauman and Allison Sullivan. Sophomore Liz Hubbard, in her first year with the DU field hockey team, will fight for time on offense.

Denison was picked to finish fourth in the NCAC's annual preseason coaches poll. The Big Red received one first place vote and 28 total points in the seven-team poll.Kenyon received five first place votes and 46 points. They were followed by Wooster's 34 points and Wittenberg's 30 points.Denison will open the 2007 season against HendrixCollege on Friday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. at Deeds Field-Piper Stadium.